Patriots bring Kevin Faulk back for 13th season

By Jennifer Toland TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Sunday

Jul 31, 2011 at 12:19 AMJul 31, 2011 at 1:36 AM

Missing almost all of last season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee was pretty devastating for Kevin Faulk. The 35-year-old Faulk became an unrestricted free agent at year’s end, so his future in New England, especially after the way Danny Woodhead performed in 2010 and after the Patriots took two running backs in April’s draft, was not certain.

Missing almost all of last season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee was pretty devastating for Kevin Faulk.

The 35-year-old Faulk became an unrestricted free agent at year’s end, so his future in New England, especially after the way Danny Woodhead performed in 2010 and after the Patriots took two running backs in April’s draft, was not certain.

You can imagine his delight, then, when he walked through the doors at Gillette Stadium yesterday.

“Being able to come in this building and see the guys and hearing them say how much they missed me — it made me feel good as a football player and a person,” Faulk said.

The Patriots re-signed Faulk and fellow veteran running back Sammy Morris yesterday, as well as cornerbacks Kyle Arrington and Brandon McGowan, and linebacker Tracy White. Also, offensive lineman Logan Mankins signed his franchise tender. All six players can begin practicing Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Patriots released line backer Anthony Leonard, who was signed as a rookie free agent out of West Virginia on July 27.

Mankins watched yesterday morning’s practice from the sidelines.

Entering his 13th season in New England, Faulk is the longest-tenured Patriot on the roster. Faulk said Patriots coach Bill Belichick called him before the lockout and told him he wanted him on the Patriots in 2011.

“That was enough motivation for me to rehab my butt off and get ready for the season, whatever it may be and whenever it may come,” said Faulk, who added that he would not have signed with any other team. Faulk said the day he got hurt was the day he started thinking about coming back. His rehab went well — he worked with trainers at LSU, his alma mater, during the lockout — and he got some helpful advice from Wes Welker and Tom Brady, who, of course, both came back from knee surgeries.

“About two months ago I started feeling it coming back,” Faulk said. “It started feeling pretty good. From there, it was just keep going, just keep pushing yourself.”

As Faulk noted, the physical hurdle is one thing, the mental obstacle is another.

“Physically I feel good,” he said, “but mentally I want to get out there and see how it is getting hit, pushing and pulling with these linebackers and stuff and that’s just a process.”

Faulk joins a pretty crowded backfield with Woodhead, who filled Faulk’s change-of-pace role last year, Morris, and rookies Stevan Ridley, also an LSU product, and Shane Vereen. Restricted free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis remains unsigned. The youngsters could certainly benefit from having Faulk around.

“I want to compete,” Faulk said. “I’m motivated to play football each and every day.”

Faulk knows Ridley, whom the Pats drafted in the third round, through the LSU connection, and thinks he’ll fit in well here.